Japan's vice-minister for Foreign Affairs says his government is not concerned with the increasing engagement of China and the United States in the Pacific.
Japan last week hosted the sixth Pacific Leaders Meeting, where the government pledged up to 500 million US dollars to the region over the next three years and highlighted the importance of disaster management in the Pacific.
Joe Nakano says his government does not see China and the US, which have stepped up their involvement in the region, as competitors.
"The main issue is how we are going to co-operate together to enhance the development of this region so we don't see any intention to focussing on certain countries versus certain countries, we don't focus on that."
Japan's vice-minister for Foreign Affairs Joe Nakano was in New Zealand in transit to Samoa's 50th anniversary of independence.
